1-Octen-3-ol (CAS 3391-86-4) — Green Heart Note Fragrance Ingredient
1-Octen-3-ol
CAS 3391-86-4
What Is 1-Octen-3-ol?
1-Octen-3-ol is a naturally occurring alcohol found in mushrooms and some plants, often described as having a ‘mushroom-like’ or earthy scent. It’s commonly used in perfumery to add depth and naturalistic earthy tones. This ingredient matters because it creates realistic forest-floor accords and enhances gourmand or chypre fragrances with its distinctive damp earth character.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does 1-Octen-3-ol Smell Like?
1-Octen-3-ol delivers an unmistakable earthy-mushroom aroma with metallic undertones. Imagine freshly overturned forest soil after rain – damp, rich, and slightly fungal. The scent evolves from an initial sharp greenness to a sustained earthy heart with faintly animalic nuances. In drydown, it leaves a whisper of dried leaves and humus, making it invaluable for creating realistic woodland accords.
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Used to create hyper-realistic forest floor effects, supporting galbanum and oakmoss with its damp earth character.
Provides subtle fungal complexity to the vetiver-cypress accord, enhancing the scent’s rainy forest imagery.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: CCCCCC(O)C=C
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
1-Octen-3-ol is an eight-carbon unsaturated alcohol with the hydroxyl group at the third position. It’s biosynthesized by fungi through linoleic acid oxidation and can be synthesized industrially via hydroformylation of 1-heptene. The molecule exists as two enantiomers – the (R)-form occurs naturally in mushrooms while both forms are used in perfumery.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Boiling Point | 175-177 °C |
|---|---|
| Density | 0.84 g/cm³ |
| Flash Point | 62 °C |
| Vapor Pressure | 1.3 mmHg at 25°C |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 0.1-0.5% | Up to 1% | For earthy complexity |
| Functional Fragrance | 0.01-0.1% | Up to 0.2% | For subtle naturalistic effects |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use sparingly with woody materials to create convincing forest floor effects.
Alternatives & Comparisons
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating.
IFRA Status
No IFRA restrictions. Listed as safe when used within standard industry limits.
EU Allergen Declaration
Not listed as an EU allergen.
GHS Classification
RIFM Assessment
RIFM assessment confirms safe use at current industry levels.
Sustainability
Primarily produced synthetically, though natural versions can be extracted from fungal sources. The synthetic route has minimal environmental impact due to efficient catalytic processes. Biodegradability is excellent.
Explore 1-Octen-3-ol
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References
- Combet et al. (2006). Role of 1-octen-3-ol in fungal aroma. Mycological Research. DOI:10.1017/S0953756206003468
- PubChem Compound Summary for 1-Octen-3-ol CID 18827
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Apr 2026.
Report a data errorIngredient Data Sheet
CAS 3391-86-4Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 128.21 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 2.6🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 84 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0.225 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 71 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Involatility Index | 0.0214💻 Calculated |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | -1.636💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | CCCCCC(C=C)O🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Top💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 1 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | earthymushroomsweet• leffingwell |
| Functional Groups | alcoholalkene💻 RDKit |
| “Very powerful, sweet-earthly, almost buttery and fungus- or fermentation-like odor with a strong herbaceous note, suggestive of Lavender-Lavandin-Rose and Hay. Somewhat acid-chemical undertone which is hardly perceptible at proper (high) dilution.”📖 Arctander | |
| 1-Octen-3-ol has a powerful, sweet, earthy odor with a strong, herbaceous note reminiscent of lavender–lavandin, rose and hay. It has a sweet, herbaceous taste.📖 Fenaroli | |
Flavor Notes (Arctander)
| “Sweet-herbaceous, haylike-earthly taste. Also used in flavors (and in artificial Spearmint), such as Spice, Fruit, etc. usually in very low concentration: 0.2 to 6 ppm in the finished consumer product.”📖 Arctander |
Sensory Thresholds
| Odor Detection Threshold | 0.009 ppm (n=17)📖 van Gemert |
Regulatory Status
| FEMA Number | FEMA 2805⚖️ FEMA GRAS |
| GRAS Status | Generally Recognized as Safe⚖️ FEMA GRAS |
| IOFI Classification | Nature Identical📖 Fenaroli |
Physical data: PubChem (NIH/NLM), U.S. EPA CompTox Dashboard, EPA OPERA models, RDKit. Odor & flavor: Arctander (Perfume & Flavor Chemicals), Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Leffingwell. Thresholds: van Gemert (Compilations of Odour Threshold Values). Regulatory: IFRA Standards 51st, FEMA GRAS. Trade names: Surburg (Common Fragrance & Flavor Materials). All data compiled and cross-referenced for perfumertools.com.
Physicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID3035214
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 128.215 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 0.838 g/cm^3🔬 EPA CTX |
| Boiling Point | 176.963 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Melting Point | -49 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Flash Point | 66.25 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.438 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 153.566 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 2.405 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 2.405 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | 2.405 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 5.66 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0.015 mol/L🔬 EPA CTX |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole🔬 EPA CTX |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0.225 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 3.77 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 27.302 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
| Thermal Conductivity | 146.209 mW/(m*K)📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 20.23 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 1 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 5 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 0 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 40.331 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 15.988 Å^3📊 OPERA |
Data Sources:
🔬 EPA Experimental data from U.S. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard & CTX APIs. 📊 OPERA Predicted using EPA's OPERA QSAR models. 💻 Computed Calculated from SMILES using RDKit.
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